


Lonrai ka

by Marcus_Vici



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Adventure, Ancient Technology, Gen, Languages and Linguistics, Mystery, Original Fiction, Professors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26471704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marcus_Vici/pseuds/Marcus_Vici
Summary: What does a cave in the middle of a desert hide?





	Lonrai ka

The sun was way up in the sky when Professor Keith J. Allwood finally reached his destination. His white loose clothes were wet from sweat, and his head a bit dizzy, so he felt relieved when he halted to a stop near a small cave in the middle of a desert. The cave had a wide entrance, but its hall was only a few meters in diameter, which was still enough for it to serve as a daytime shelter.

Dr Allwood, however, didn`t mean to use it as one. In fact, he simply dropped his backpack in the shadow just before the entrance. Then he squinted at the bright sky with three moons surrounding the morning star and nodded to himself.

Keith reached into his pocket and took out a tiny phial. Inside there was some dirt-like liquid which he drank in one shot, and winced afterwards. He stayed still for a few momemnts until the potion began to work.

His brain, melted by the savage desert sun, slowly became relaxed. With the pulsating headache gone, Keith took a deep breath and concentrated on his own thoughts. He had to properly organize his mind if he wanted this to work.

And it _did_ work.

Professor Allwood shuddered when a glowing symbol appeared right before his eyes. It was semi-transparent and almost impossible to read in the blinding daylight, so he instinctively closed his eyes and was surprised to see it glowing even brighter, as if it was written on the inside of his eyelids. Quite interesting mechanics actually, he didn`t expect that. Thankfully, now it was contrastive enough for him to read it.

The symbol said _maatu_. ‘Go-you’, if translated. This was an invitation.

Keith hummed quietly and obeyed. He went into the dark cave and stopped only when he reached a deadlock at the opposite side of it. Now, however, he was able to see something that was hidden from him and from other people for, perhaps, thousands of years – a small golden circle on the stone wall. He hesitated for a bit before gently touching it.

The wall disappeared, opening a black passage with seemingly no end. Dr Allwood breathed in the stale air and stepped in.

Nothing happened immediately after; at least, nothing especially remarkable. There was just an absolute darkness, because of which Keith had to walk very carefully, if he didn`t want to fall over. The silence was also becoming somewhat eerie the farther he went, until the only sound left was the echo of his footsteps. Although this wasn`t the first cave that Dr Allwood had descended into, previous ones always had either dripping faucets at the distance or flying bats – never was the silence so deafening. No wonder why Keith was relieved to spot another circle glowing on the wall.

He touched the circle, perhaps, even too hastily. This time golden symbols appeared right beneath the circle; it was a brief instruction. Do this if you want to get that. Professor Allwood wanted nothing but knowledge, so he closed his eyes and imagined two specific logographs.

_Lonrai ka._ ‘For knowledge’.

The request was accepted. Keith opened his eyes and saw other circles of a much smaller size turning on one by one. He smiled in anticipation and went down into the illuminated passage.

Now, under the warm lights, he realized that paving stone had replaced the dirt floor quite a while ago. The walls were also a cut rock, with the golden luminaires nested in it. The ceiling was no higher than two meters and was made of the same yellowish stone as were the walls. All surfaces were covered in dust; Keith tried to step slowly, so that not to disturb it – he didn`t want to then inhale that air.

The passage went on and on before ending with a fork. On the wall right in front of Keith was another glowing circle. He touched it and shivered when he felt as if a lightning struck through his arm.

This time he saw a vision. A giant underground library with thousands and thousands of books and manuscripts resting on the shelves. Numerous stairs connecting one floor full of bookcases with another. A wide glass tube at the center of the hall; pale smoke inside of it going way up to the ceiling.

Yes, he wanted to get there.

The vision disappeared, and Keith was given a reply. _Dou_ , said the symbol. Dr. Allwood turned left.

To his surprise, the shiver didn`t go away. Perhaps, he got too excited? He definitely had to calm down before he uses the mechanism for the next time.

The new passage led him to a small square room with the same stone walls, floor, and ceiling. This room, however, was largely different from the one at the entrance. Most noticeably, it had black columns in each corner and a metal pedestal at its center. When Keith came closer, he also realized that there were hand shapes engraved on the metal.

He took a few long breaths, trying to sort his thoughts out. Then, when he felt ready, he put his hands on the pedestal.

No lightning struck him this time. Instead, he felt his hands getting warm and his mind sinking into a trance.

The stone walls on the sides of the room were no longer blank, instead covered in ligatures, which were slowly turning brighter. He attempted to read them, but failed; the signs blended into an unintelligent mess, no matter how hard he tried to concentrate on them.

There was pain growing in his head. Keith breathed out the sudden fear and closed his eyes.

He imagined this cave system, golden symbols glowing in the distance.

 _Wai ka?_ ‘What for?’

The answer was another fast-paced vision. This time Dr. Allwood felt as if he stood right there, among those strange people. They were short of stature and lacked any facial hair, but the look they gave him was very intelligent. For a second it seemed like they actually _saw_ him.

He observed as a young male in traditional clothes touched the golden button that he himself used at the cave entrance. Keith followed the man into the passage and was surprised to see that, apparently, there were quite a few of other buttons that one could interact with. This man did interact and, thus, opened another passage that led him to a new place. And then to another. And another.

This underground system was, in fact, a labyrinth. So, does it mean that in order to get to the library one should find the right path?

The vision changed, and Keith once again saw that library. Huge and inexplicably gorgeous, it was filled with priceless knowledge. All those written pieces, which were considered to be long lost, were preserved in there. Truly unbelievable.

Keith got out of the vision. He already knew the answer even before he saw the actual logographs. ‘To preserve the knowledge,’ they said. _Lonra no galanrai ka._

When he stood up, he staggered.

It seems that this kind of human-machine interaction requires some practice. No wonder why the pain in his head didn`t go away this time. Sure, it might be that the potion doesn`t have a long-lasting effect, but…

Dr. Allwood sighed and massaged his temples. He looked at the walls, and they had no sign of the words that were previously written on them. No new path has emerged either.

Does he have to ask something else? But he already indicated his goal, so what`s wrong?

Keith looked at the pedestal and, after some consideration, put the hands back on in. His body twitched from the ‘lightning’. A vision came and almost burned his brains out. He recoiled in fear.

He was shown how the labyrinth works. If you ask the right question – you get the answer. If you are not ready to ask, then you get to an exit.

If you are unable to comprehend the answers, then…

Keith shook his head and instantly regretted. If felt as if there was just a mass of melted brain matter left inside of his skull.

The logical part of him said that he was not, in fact, prepared for what was to come. He should, therefore, leave it this time and try it later. After what he has found, he will definitely be given resources to continue his academic inquiry. There was no reason to rush.

Dr. Allwood agreed. He`ll try it next time. Now he had to find a way out.

When the pain became more or less bearable, he again touched the pedestal. His question was clear: ‘Where is the exit?’ He imagined the cave entrance, the yellow dunes just outside of it. He almost felt hot grains of sand hit his face.

The mechanism worked, and when Keith looked at the opposite wall he saw a new illuminated passage. Relieved, he entered immediately.

The path weaved left and right, until it ended with another room. Not the entrance room.

There was another pedestal at the center.

Keith noticed his heartbeat getting faster, and tried to calm down. He just had to repeat the request.

“I need an exit.” It`s that simple.

A new passage appeared, but when Keith went through it, he was just in another room. With the pedestal.

He was definitely doing something wrong.

Dr. Allwood took a look around and, to his own surprise, realized that this time some symbols on the walls were quite readable. _Muv. Hanra. Waqam._

‘We.’ ‘Truth.’ ‘People.’

His head ached again, so he turned away from the walls and looked at the pedestal.

Who gets to the exit? The ones who are unable to ask questions.

He has already asked questions.

Then, he won`t find a way out.

Keith sank down on the floor, his hands trembling.

Those who can ask questions should get answers. Whether they can comprehend these answers or not – only their problem. After all, this is an act of initiation. You are either ready or you don`t participate.

Keith knew that if he wanted to succeed, he had to have some rest, but he also knew that he was unable to sleep in this place. The longer he was in there, the less energy he had. Evidently, the mechanism was draining it out of him.

So he was given no other choice but to continue with questions. Not that bad, huh? In the end, he will obtain the knowledge that he always earned for. Perhaps, after that he will finally be escorted to the exit.

Keith rose to his legs and approached the pedestal. He was hesitating. Now, after his past experience, this piece of metal looked rather ominous.

When he touched it, the message in his mind was clear: “Who are you?”

The vision that followed wasn`t even accompanied by pain. Just a brief picture of those strange people. A large community; a much different, purely green nature surrounding them.

Meanwhile, a passage opened, and Keith went into it. The walls inside were painted by the pictures of animals and people. Of one particular species that _became_ people. Their evolution. At the end of the passage was another golden circle, which he touched and asked, “What is your technology?” The mechanism showed him that those people had no vocal organs and were instead using some form of telepathy, which they then recreated in their machines. “What happened to you?”

This time there was no answer. Clearly, the mechanism didn`t record data by itself, so it just ignored the inappropriate request. This was promising.

Keith was just about to remove his hand and formulate another question, but found out that he couldn`t. His head hurt again. Then he clenched his teeth, because the mechanism didn`t want to let go and tried to get to the questions by itself, without any concern about his sanity. It was successful.

Symbols glowed on the wall. _Wa hanra?_

The next moment his mind was flooded with information. The absolute dark, then a great explosion. Light that has just been created. A green planet. Life.

Death. Climate change. Same mistakes, over and over.

He makes the same mistakes. He…

Keith recoiled back and collapsed on the floor. The visions in his head didn`t stop.

_Lonra._

Not books, not manuscripts. No secret place. All the knowledge is here – just touch it. You should be able to bear it or you don`t deserve it.

Keith stood up, leaning against the wall. _Hanbago._ ‘Wrong.’

It`s not his fault. He just wasn`t prepared. He needs a pause, that`s it.

He took a deep breath, but exhaled sharply. He started suffocating.

“If you`re unable to comprehend the answers, then you should pay the price.”

This mechanism wasn`t working properly. Too much time spent in oblivion. It demanded energy.

Keith slid back down.

 _Waqami ka._ This underground labyrinth was made by people and for people. It shouldn`t work this way. Right?

_Hanbago._

A new vision. Giant hall filled with old bones. Just another room that you can get to if you are deemed unworthy. Knowledge is too precious to give it to everyone.

Keith looked at the ceiling. It was filled with glowing symbols. Now he was able to read them, but the only word that broke through was _sononra,_ ‘creation’. This was their creation.

He felt his insides clutch with fear as less and less oxygen was coming to his lungs. Everything before him was turning black.

_Muv galaamuku._


End file.
